


Meeting the parents

by stressedoutteenager



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24632326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stressedoutteenager/pseuds/stressedoutteenager
Summary: At the end of Crooked Kingdom Inej's parents arrive in Ketterdam and reunite with their daughter and meet Kaz.
Relationships: Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa
Comments: 18
Kudos: 177
Collections: Kaz and Inej Fanfics





	1. Chapter 1

“Is my tie straight?”, he had asked before Inej ran towards her parents. 

Mama and Papa Ghafa met her halfway and embraced her in a big hug. Kaz followed slowly. He wanted to give them their privacy, wanted them to reunite on their own first. But Inej had asked him to come with her, so he did. Of course, he did. He would be lying to himself if he told himself that he wouldn’t do anything she asked of him. Especially not after he heard her laugh like that and not after he saw her eyes light up as soon as she realized who is coming down the ship. Slowly, very slowly, he approached them. The sight in front of him ignited a warm feeling in his chest that has only been reserved for Inej alone lately. The sight of a family reunite like this brought faint memories back - memories of his father on his farm, working day and night, always a lazy smile on his face - memories of his mother hugging her boys as soon as they came into the house, showering them with kisses and hugs every chance she got. Until neither of them was there anymore. 

He approached the family slowly and stood aside, hands on the crow’s head that is so very familiar to his touch. Even with the missing layer of his leather gloves. But he wouldn’t pull them on, not now. He waited, the ship’s crew walking back and forth, unloading cargo. Would’ve been a shame to bring the ship here without filling the space it offered, he couldn’t blame Sturmhond. 

His eyes wandered over the reuniting family again, he felt like he was intruding on a private moment. Usually, he didn’t care. But this is Inej, Inej and her family that left a gaping hole in her heart when she was ripped away from them. Kaz tried to ignore that thought, gripping his cane harder and trying to relax. 

“Kaz.”, he heard his name being said and drew his attention back to Inej. Not that he ever took it completely off her. “Come meet my parents.”, she nodded towards her parents. 

Kaz subtly straightened his shoulders, didn’t lean on his cane as much as he would have to after the events of the past days and weeks.   
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ghafa.”, he said, looking at each of them with a polite smile, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Inej watched as Kaz’s demeanor changed from the ever so proud upward jut of his chin, the cold look in his eyes and the hard set of his jaw, to the same straight posture but a much more approachable look on his face with a small polite smile. The tone of his voice wasn’t as ruthless and cutting like when he talked to pretty much every single person he encountered. And when he reached out to shake her father’s hand, Inej drew in a slow breath. He reached out before her father even had a chance to. Her eyes were glued to his hand for a moment and when her father took Kaz’s hand, her gaze found its way to Kaz’s face. He looked fine. He has always been a good actor - with a strong poker face - and she couldn’t tell if he was really fine or if he was struggling. 

“Mama, Papa.”, Inej interjected, “This is Kaz Brekker.”

Her parents nodded and now Kaz was shaking her mother’s hand. Then, finally, he came to stand right next to her. She couldn’t believe any of this was happening. Her parents were standing in front of her. Two faces that had only graced her in her dreams for too long. Kaz had found them, had brought them here. The look on her parents’ face clearly showed that they were as overwhelmed as she was herself. And Kaz, he stood there, next to her. One hand clenched over the crow’s head of his cane, the other clench at his side. He tried to breathe calmly, she could tell. He stood, not saying a word, waiting to be addressed. This was a new side to him she had never seen before. He was always reserved, always kept to himself but this was different. 

“And Kaz Brekker is…?”, her mother asked and broke the silence between them. 

“Inej and I work together.”, he answered and smiled at her mother charmingly. Oh, Saints. That smile distracted her almost so much that she forgot to correct him. But she caught herself, she was an acrobat at heart after all. 

She shook her head: “I actually work for Kaz. He employed me after…”, oh. Her breath caught in her throat. Inej knew that she had to talk to her parents about what happened to her and what she did in Ketterdam all this time. In the euphoria of seeing their familiar faces again and letting herself be held by her parents, she forgot everything around her. So far, they all just held each other and were happy to see each other, without thinking of what happened and how they ended up in this situation. The sadness interlaced with guilt like the strands of her hair in the braid down her back, overcame her. She took a big breath in and thought she should tell them now, get it over with. If she believed that her Saints could forgive her, her parents could too, couldn’t they. 

“Ketterdam throws one challenge after another at anyone new that arrives at these ports.”, Kaz said, as Inej opened her mouth to tell her parents. “Your daughter was so resilient and you should be proud of her.”

Inej looked up at him and couldn’t believe her ears. His words coupled with the determined, yet soft, tone of his voice caught her off-guard. And when her father raised his eyebrows at Kaz and Kaz looked down a little, respectfully, Inej felt like laughing. She had only ever seen Kaz look like this when he was acting for Per Haskell or any merchant that he manipulated for his own gain. But this was different. Inej didn’t see the mischievous gleam in his eyes, he seemed sincere. 

“I am so happy to see my daughter again. Inej, we didn’t know what happened to you and if you were okay and we prayed to the Saints every day and night. And now that we’re here, we really want to know what happened.”, her father said and her mother let herself fall against her father, who wrapped his arm around her. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm, held her in place. It reminded her of the way Kaz held her just minutes ago when she could barely stand at the thought of seeing her parents soon. Remembering his bare fingers on her sleeves drew blood to her cheeks, even at a moment like this - afraid of what her parents would think of her past in Kerch. But if she believed that her Saints could forgive her, her parents could to, couldn’t they?   


“Mr. and Mrs. Ghafa.”, Kaz said again. “I’m sorry to intrude, I don’t want to get between you and your daughter reuniting but if you agree, I would suggest to escort you to a safer place than the this harbor, with a good meal in front of you.”, again he looked at them like their opinion mattered. Inej shook her head to herself. 

“I think that would be nice, Mr. Brekker.”, Inej’s mother said. Her voice as soft but strong as ever. Inej wanted to cry at the sound of her voice, remembering her mother singing to her, braiding Inej’s hair while telling her of her first days of being married to her husband, reconciling small arguments between Inej and the other kids. 

Kaz smiled: “Please call me Kaz.”, then he adds, “If it is alright with you, I would like to bring you to our friend’s house. It is a little way from here but the quietest place I can offer right now.”

Inej’s parents agreed and they set off. Inej just looked at him questioningly to which he answered: “Wylan’s.”

With that he let Inej lead her parents. Kaz walked behind the three of them. Inej was in the middle, one arm hooked into her father’s, one hand in her mother’s. He heard her tell them the names of buildings, heard her explain different customs compared to Suli and Ravkan ways. He wasn’t secure in the language Inej’s family used; he had memorized some sayings and individual words she had used around him more than once, but that was it. 

All the way to their destination Kaz trailed behind them, making sure they are not being followed and that they are safe. 

Only when they arrived at Wylan’s house, Kaz passed the family and knocked on the door. A servant opened the door and Kaz said he sent a message to Wylan and knows that they are expected. They were let into the house and Kaz told Inej to take her parents’ to the living room and went to the kitchen to find Wylan. He quickly told him he needed the living room for Inej and her parents and he could see the questions in Wylan’s eyes but the curly haired boy knew better than to ask now. So he just nodded and said whatever they needed, they could take or ask for. 

“Let a warm meal be prepared. They just docked after a long journey.”, Kaz just said.

“Of course. On it. Jesper is out right now but I’ll let him know to not intrude when he gets back.”, Wylan said but Kaz just nodded shortly. “And if she’ll let me, I’d love to meet them.”, Wylan said, before Kaz could turn away. Again, Kaz nodded. It’s not his decision to make. 

He joined the family in the living room and announced: “There’s a meal being prepared for you. If you are in need of anything else, please let me know and I’ll arrange it.”, then he looks from Inej to her parents and addresses them calmly: “ Please do not worry about lodging tonight or for however long you choose to stay in Kerch, let me know what you’d prefer and I’ll see to it.” 

“Thank you, we really appreciate it. You are such a polite, helpful young man.”, Inej’s father said and Inej almost laughed out loud. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Kaz, who met her gaze and she could swear that she saw him blush. Kaz, the bastard of the barrel, blushing at a compliment from her father. Kaz shook his head at her slightly, then turned to her parents.

“It’s nothing, really.”, he answered.

Then he lowered his gaze slightly and turned to leave them to talk. 

Inej was in awe. Not only because he made true what seemed like impossibility for years, he had brought her parents to her. But because this version of him, as different as it is to his usual self that he presents, didn’t seem completely acted. Inej couldn’t stop a smile forming on her lips. This was the version of Kaz that would be his usual self, if he hadn’t grown up in Ketterdam. If Kaz wasn’t dragged into, no - if he had not thrown himself into the Barrel and grew up with his parents on their farm with better idols than the ruthless barrel bosses, he could be this way. He had found his way, where he is might be where he had to end up but he was young, things could changed. Even if they didn’t, Kaz could look after himself, and he looked after his friends, too. Even if he didn’t show it openly.   
M

“Kaz.”, she spoke up, which made him turn around. “Thank you.”


	2. The Tour of Her Second Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kaz brought Inej's parents to Ketterdam, they want to see the city. To be safe, the tour of Ketterdam is lead by Inej, Wylan and Kaz.  
> To everyone else Kaz is the Bastard of the Barrel, to Inej's parents he is just a kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting on this draft for a while now and finally finished it. I originally wanted to only have the first part to this but after a comment from @Atheraa I was inspired to write a bit more and I hope it worked out.

Inej and her parents had finished their meal in private, conversing the entire time. Kaz, who meant to go back to the Slat, was held back by that relentless voice in the back of his head. He had to make sure they had all they needed. So he stayed back, sitting in Wylan’s kitchen, drinking coffee.

Surprised to find Kaz sitting in the kitchen on his own, when she thought he might already be long gone, she took a second to watch him. Hands still gloveless, wrapped around a mug of steaming coffee. The steam hitting his chin while his eyes are unfocused. She still couldn’t believe he brought her parents to her. The heartless Bastard of the Barrel, as he is known, as he wants to be known, as she was tempted to believe at times, found her parents and figured out a way to bring them here. Just for her.

“Kaz?”, Inej finally said, stepping into the kitchen. He is not surprised by her voice, he knew she was standing there. He always does. His eyes followed her movement towards him closely until she stood across the table from him. “I thought you left to go back to your work.”

“There’s nothing of urgency and my leg needed a minute.”, he says, but both of them know only one part of his sentence is true. Kaz has big plans for the Slat and for the Barrel in general, there is always something urgent to do. 

“My parents want to see the city.”, she utters and instantly sees the scepticism in Kaz’s eyes. 

He doesn’t have to say anything, his look towards the living room where Wylan is now entertaining Inej’s parents rather loudly, is enough for her to understand what he is thinking. 

“They want to see where I have been spending the last couple of years. I can’t blame them and can’t withhold that from them. I’ll just show them the parts of the city that every tourist would wander into on their own.”, Inej answers Kaz’s unspoken question and holds his gaze. 

“They will want to see the Slat. Where you have been sleeping, living.”, he adds, voice lower than necessary, eyes trained on Inej as if she’s the only person worth looking at. It takes Inej a moment to answer, she is too aware of his unfiltered gaze on her. 

Inej had told her parents a rough version of what had happened after she was taken, leaving out any details that would upset her parents more than needed. As far as they know, for now at least, she was indentured against her will, Kaz gave her way out by working for him and she took the chance. She could see the questions in the eyes of her parents. They know what happens to most girls when they are taken like Inej was. However, Inej shook her head, asked them to be understanding and that the fact that she is healthy and good as new right in front of them should be enough for now. Reluctantly Mr. and Mrs. Ghafa seized their questions, ate their first warm meal in days and asked their daughter to show them her city. 

“I will take them there.”, Inej answers. 

“If you don’t want them to see the Slat, I will arrange something else.”, he offers, less like a question, more like it’s a given. 

Inej shakes her head. Her gaze wanders over his face. She knows him better than anyone, she is sure. Still, that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Her eyes find his hands around the mug again and finally she looks him straight in the eyes. 

“It’s home. The Slat was the first place I felt safe after everything that happened.”, she says. 

Kaz knows Inej better than anyone in the Dregs. He knows the Ketterdam version of Inej better than anyone, he is sure. He can read her gaze. They spent too many nights working and plotting or sitting wordlessly next to each other, acting like they weren’t watching each other, to not know most things about each other. Still, hearing her call the Slat her home is always surprising.

“I’m coming with you.”, is all he says then, for a moment. Inej tilts her head to the side and looks at him sceptically. He holds up a hand before she can answer. “And taking Wylan with us wouldn’t be bad either.”

Inej knows what he means. They came out of the power struggles of the past weeks and months victorious but that doesn’t mean everybody in the Barrel suddenly loves them. Knowing that Inej - the biggest source of information on anything and everything for Kaz - was walking through the city with two older people she looked so much alike … might be source for some danger. 

“It’s just friends showing my parents the city. It’s not two silent personal guards.”, Inej says pointedly, tilting her chin up and setting her jaw fast, “Who I don’t need anyway.”

Kaz’s lips quirk into a tiny grin but he schools his features, still not breaking their gaze. “Of course.” Inej turns her back to him to tell her parents the plan when Kaz adds: “You missed a once in a lifetime offer.”

Inej almost laughs out loud. Even just imagining Kaz as her personal guard is ridiculous.

-

Wylan is chatty and the perfect tour guide, leading their little group through the streets of Ketterdam. Inej and Kaz know the city better than Wylan does but in this case it’s an advantage. Not staying in one place for too long but making it seem like he only wants to show them an even better spot must be a talent, Inej thinks. Kaz falls back a few steps and is more focused on their surroundings than on their conversations. Eyes open for any danger that might come their way. Every once in a while he’d see Inej walk backwards, to be able to look at her parents while leading the way. She’d meet his gaze for a moment and focus back on her parents. Tourists and locals intermingled, he’d stay focused. 

Until Inej’s mother suddenly grabs Kaz’s arm, over his coat, and tugs him closer to their group. Kaz was unprepared for an attack from the front, too focused on who might get too close from behind or the sides. He stumbles slightly. In public. But catches himself with the help of his cane. When he looks from Inej’s mother to the others in the group, Wylan’s eyes are wide. Inej looks amused more than anything and doesn’t try to hide it. 

“Kaz, you’re falling back so much. Everything alright, dear?”, Mrs. Ghafa asks, her hand still on his arm. She looks at him concerned, Mr. Ghafa smiles slightly, oblivious to the tension emanating from Wylan and Inej. Neither is used to seeing Kaz in situations like this. Nobody touches him. Especially if he is not the one to initiate it. 

“I’m alright, thank you!”, he says slowly. Turning on his charm, he says: “I’m just not as good a tour guide as these two.” 

Inej and Wylan look at each other for a moment. Wylan gulps and turns his attention away from Kaz, Inej takes her mom’s hand in hers and drags her away a little.  
“He’d rather observe than participate in social settings.”, Inej explains in a quiet tone to her mom. Kaz falls back a step or two again but is now closer than before. 

They walk quite a while and neither of Inej’s parents seem fazed. Kaz questions if he should laugh at himself or be enraged that these elder people still have a bounce in their step while he is struggling to follow them up the steep cobbled street they’re on. His cane helps but his leg has been through too much lately.  
He doesn’t get much time to wallow in his own misery because in a sudden move, somebody runs out of a narrow street and directly dives for Inej’s father. Inej moves instantly but her father is closer to Kaz than to her. Kaz instinctively swings his cane, his aim spot on, and hits the mugger on a spot between his chest and shoulder which makes the kid wince and drop instantly. Kaz goes to stand in front of him and looks at the kid that doesn’t look any older than Kaz himself was when he got to Ketterdam. The fear in the kid’s eyes only grows when he sees the Crow’s head on the cane. 

Inej holds her breath, drags her father a couple steps back and watches Wylan do the same with her mother. She saw the child coming, but was too slow. Thankfully, the child doesn’t look like he wanted to hurt anymore. He seemed to be only keen on money. She had told her dad to put all his belongings away properly. She can see her parents watching the scene in front of them. Her father makes a move to step forward again but she holds his hand and tugs him back.  
Then she concentrates on the boy. He looks too young to be out here alone, they are too close to the Barrel. She doesn’t recognize him which is weird. She knows most, if not all, small muggers for each and every group in Ketterdam. He doesn’t seem to belong to any of them. She knows Kaz has a good eye for people so, hopefully, he will notice too. 

For a short moment Kaz looks over his shoulder, straight at Inej and she shakes her head. He nods slightly and turns to the kid.  
“Stand up.”, he says, the kid instantly complies. 

“I.. I.. was just..”, the kid starts talking but doesn’t finish his sentence. Kaz doesn’t make himself look smaller to look the kid in the eyes. Instead, the kid’s eyes are trained on his stomach. 

“Are you hungry?”, Kaz asks. This kid doesn’t seem like he belongs to any of the gangs in the city. He looks like he is too young, too inexperienced. He shouldn’t be here. When the kid nods, Kaz asks: “Do you know where the Slat is?” Again, a small nod, no eye contact.  
“Go there, say Kaz Brekker sent you and ask for Anika. Say I’ll be there in half an hour and want you to be fed until then.”

The kid doesn’t move then. Kaz waits a second and then only has to say: “Go.” for the child to run off. 

As soon as the kid is gone, Kaz turns to the others. 

Inej’s mother clutches her husband’s arm and looks between Kaz and Inej and Wylan. She wonders why neither of them seems fazed at all. She notices Kaz slowly unclenching his jaw. 

“Boy, what do you think you are doing? I have height and weight on you, why put yourself in the way of danger?”, it is Inej’s father that speaks. Not even his thick accent can distort the worry in his voice. He seems concerned and furious at the same time. This whole time he barely spoke, being more of a listener than a talker. 

To that, Inej cannot suppress her small laugh. Kaz looks amused, which her parents will not be able to detect. It’s just a small change in his stoic facial expression but Inej knows. On the other hand, Kaz definitely seems a little taken aback. Rarely anyone talks to him like that. Sure, the occasional Stadwatch officer or some merchant might reprimand Kaz, or try to, but it’s always in malice. Never in actual concern, because quite plainly, those people don’t care about anyone but whoever they are aligned with. 

Kaz composes himself quickly and puts on a pleasant smile. “Sir, I’ve been living in this city so long now and know the corners that might not be as secure. It was an instinct.”

Inej’s father holds Kaz’s gaze for a moment but her mother breaks the silence.  
“We’ll just have to be more careful. Let’s go and let me see where my daughter used to live.”

Used to live. That doesn’t sit right with Kaz, still, it’s not his decision to make. 

It takes them about half an hour, as Kaz predicted, to get back to the Slat. They kept stopping for this or that, anything Inej wanted to show her parents, anything Wylan had an interesting fact about and anything either of her parents wanted to know more about. Kaz entered before the rest of his group. In a single sentence those of his crew that were in the house at that moment knew to behave. 

“Come on in. I’ll let Inej take over the tour, she knows every nook and cranny.”, he says, opening the door for them and turning around to go find Anika and the boy. 

Inej and Wylan keep giving each other sly looks. Everyone is on their best behaviour. Sure, they respect Kaz but it doesn’t stop most of the crew from joking around in a crude way almost every minute of the day. 

They go about their tour together but when it’s time to show her parents her room, her old room, Inej glances at Wylan and all he does is nod at her and tell her parents that he’s going to get waffles for everyone. Inej is not surprised that the questions her parents have are not about her room, which is tiny but all anyone could need. Their questions are about the house, about the work she used to do here, where Kaz is from and what exactly he does, if some of the rumours they have heard about Ketterdam’s are true. 

Patiently, she answers. The house is for everyone that works with the Dregs. She used to be Kaz’s information source for this business. Kaz is not from this city but he has worked his way up to be the owner of this business. And yes, Ketterdam has it’s dark corners and yes, Inej saw some of it but she is fine now and is grateful to have been able to work here and not anywhere else. 

“We just don’t know what to ask..”, Inej’s mother says, her husband adds quietly: “And we don’t really know what we want to know. We know it wasn’t easy for you.”

Inej takes both of her parents’ hands and smiles at them, looking from one of them to the other.  
“It wasn’t easy. But I figured it out. With a little help, yes, but it worked and this became my home for a while. I am going to leave but I am sure I will come back here. There is no doubt in my mind. Doesn’t that tell you enough about my time here?”

A little while later Inej’s mother asks about Kaz.  
“When we got the note about someone having sent out for us because they wanted to help us meet our daughter, we weren’t sure what to think. And, the name we were given was not Kaz Brekker.”

“He has probably used an alias just to be safe. There has been a lot going on and he’s now the head of this business and his crew.”, Inej explains. 

“He’s awfully young for that, isn’t he.”, her father asks but it does not sound like a question at all. 

Inej smiles slightly: “You grow up fast when you have to.”, and to not have to continue this conversation, Inej stands up and leads them back into the hallway.

Pointing up the stairs, she’s asked what they’ll find upstairs.  
“Kaz’s office and bedroom.”, Inej answers and her mom turns to her so suddenly that Inej almost gets scared. Almost. 

“His leg?”, she asks, “Why would they not move him downstairs somewhere? He’s walking with a cane, that boy needs to take care of himself.”  
Inej nods, she knows that. She is about to answer and explain he likes his privacy when she hears him come up the stairs. Cane in one hand, his limp worse than she has seen in a while. Only she can see it though before he corrects his posture as soon as he notices they are up there. 

“Wylan’s back with waffles.”, Kaz only says, looking at Inej and passes by them to go to his office. 

“Do you not like waffles?”, Inej’s mother asks him, which makes him stop dead in his tracks. Her Kerch is broken but definitely better than his Suli.

“I don’t mind them.”, he answers and is about to turn around again but he is interrupted again. 

“Oh, come eat with us. You need to get more on your ribs.”, she says, laughing. 

Kaz just watches her impassively until his attention is on Inej’s father, who says: “And we still need to thank you and figure out how to repay you for … all this.”

This time Kaz shakes his head. He first sets out to answer her parents but doesn’t want anything to get lost in their language barrier. That’s why he turns to Inej and says: “Tell your parents that there is no need to repay anything. It’s the least I could do, it’s what you and your family deserves.”

Inej does as instructed, slowly and barely being able to breathe because the stoic, heartless, Bastard of the Barrel cares about her and her family. As soon as she is done talking, Inej’s mother wraps Kaz in a hug. His eyes widen and his hands stay at his sides but he doesn’t push her off. Inej can hear her mother whisper thank you, over and over again.

This time, Inej’s father turns to his daughter and instructs her to translate for him. 

When her mother is back at her side, Inej translates for her father.

“Kaz. My father says: If you can do all that and not want anything in return, you must either be a noble man or care about my daughter a lot. Whichever it is, if you can do all that, you can have waffles with us.”, Inej says and holds her breath. Kaz’s ears turn pink. That’s his reaction. A reaction very new to him. She adds: “And he doesn’t want you to walk down all those stairs again so I’ll be back with the waffles and Wylan. Lead them up to your office, please.”


End file.
